Everything has changed
by tammyhunt
Summary: Before she left, Cristina told Owen to find someone that would give him what he wants. 4 years after, Cristina returns from Zurich. How will she react when she learns that Owen somehow took her advice ?
1. So close yet so far

Jackson was sitting on the conference room, impatiently tapping his fingers on the table. He already paged all the board members and the chief of surgery a couple of times, but apparently everyone is too busy to answer their pages. He was about to page them again when the door opened.

"Finally…." He said. Meredith, Owen, and Callie entered the room. The two women sat on each side of the table, while Owen stood beside the door.

"So what's this emergency board meeting all about?" asked Callie.

"I'll tell you when we're all complete. Where're Alex, Shepherd, and Robbins?"

As if on cue, the door flew wide open and hit the wall with a loud bang, revealing an angry Derek Shepherd, followed by Arizona and Alex. Everyone in the room was not shocked to what they have just witnessed because Derek has been acting that way for days now, banging doors and charts, and glaring at people. It was like him 8 years ago, when he lost a patient days before he proposed to Meredith.

The three doctors each took their seat, Derek beside Meredith and Alex and Arizona beside Callie.

There was silence in the room, everyone looking at Derek, until Meredith asked him "Hey how is she?". No answer. Derek was just staring at the table. Meredith then looked at Arizona with a concerned look, as if asking her the same question. "She's stable… for now. But we still have to monitor her very closely to know if the procedure worked." said Arizona, "But I'm positive it will, she's a tough girl you know."

"So, what's this meeting about?" asked Alex.

"Well, this weekend, MassGen is hosting a fundraising gala. And they are inviting hospitals around the country, especially the ones that cater technologically advanced research projects that would want to expand their projects, both for the convenience of patients and benefit of the hospital. They are selling half of their research facilities, in the form of an auction.

"So obviously, Grey Sloan Memorial is invited to this event, and the Harper Avery Foundation agreed that we could join the bidding because if we win, that would really be a great help for this hospital." said Jackson. "So we need representatives from the hospital to attend this gala. Anyone?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I'd love to attend the gala, but you know Alex and I are in the middle of a very critical case" answered Arizona, who then looked at Derek.

"I'm kinda busy too." said Callie. Even though she's really not, she's just not in the mood for a gala.

"My little sister has a very sick 6 month old daughter who does not have a father…" Derek's voice was not loud but full of anger. "And who's barely hanging on to life. And you want me to attend a gala?" Now he was standing. "Seriously Avery?" He banged the door open, and stormed out of the room. Meredith sighed and followed Derek.

Jackson stood there, a bit shocked, and tried to fix his labcoat. "Well then, I guess it's going to be me and you Hunt." Owen just let out a big sigh, and just nodded. Well, he didn't want to, but he was the chief and he had no choice, besides it'll be just one night, he thought.

"Okay then, meeting dismissed."

* * *

><p>Cristina was looking at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair and putting on some make-up. Usually, she doesn't make an effort when preparing for parties or galas, but tonight was different. Tonight, is her first time to back in the country after 4 years. Tonight, she's going to impress people and show them that she is, indeed, one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the world, and she does not need the Harper Avery award to tell her that. And tonight, she's going to attend a gala that invited the best surgeons around the world, so she knows she's going to see them, she's going to see him… it's been a long time since she heard from them, so she didn't know what to expect when she sees him. <em>But what if he won't come<em>, she thought. _Of course he will, he's the chief. Or maybe he's not anymore. Oh God, my make-up will be all for nothing. _

There was a knock on the door that brought Cristina back to reality. She opened the door of her hotel room, and there stood a tall guy with dark hair in a suit.

"Wow Cristina. You look…. Wow, you look stunning!"

And he wasn't lying. She was wearing a strapless gold sheath gown that showed all of her curves, and the gown shimmered under the light. And with her perfectly blown out hair and simple make up, she looked statuesque.

"Thank you, Isaac, So do you." Cristina answered with a blush on her face.

"So, shall we go?"

"Sure, I'll go get my purse."

* * *

><p>It looked like any gala you've been to, the room was elegantly decorated even to the smallest detail, crystal chandeliers were hanging on the ceiling, waiters are walking around offering wines and other drinks, and of course, men in expensive suits and women in designer gowns are everywhere. But these people are not just ordinary men and women, these are some of the best surgeons in the whole world.<p>

"Good evening Doctors!" a blonde haired woman approached the doctors representing Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, "You are from….?"

"Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital of Seattle" answered Jackson.

"Oh Seattle! You know it's really nice to see hotshot surgeons from different parts of the U.S., and even from different countries in under one roof!"

Owen was confused, "You mean there are also doctors from other.. countries?"

"Of course, we have doctors from Australia, Italy, Japan, and Switzerland!"

Owen felt his heart skip a beat with the mention of _Switzerland_. For 4 years, he kept himself busy with surgery and other things so he won't end up thinking of her. Her scent, her hair, her eyes, her lips, and her voice. But every day was a struggle, because every corner of the hospital reminds him of her, and all the fond memories they shared.

And tonight, he could finally set his eyes on her again.

* * *

><p>Cristina was approached by surgeons who admire her research and her other published articles and journals. They were asking her a lot of questions but her mind was somewhere else. She kept on tapping her fingers on the glass of tequila she's holding, and kept looking around, hoping to see those familiar blonde hair and blue eyes. She thought she's been thinking of him too much that she's already hallucinating him. But no, she was not hallucinating. He was right there, about 20 feet away from her. Those soft blue eyes looking right at her. The sight of him made her inhale deeply, and her lips were about to curve into a smile, when she heard someone talk to her "Dr. Yang? Dr. Yang? You haven't answered my question yet."<p>

"Oh I'm sorry. What was your question again?" She gazed to his direction again, but he was not there anymore. Maybe she really was hallucinating.

A few more people approached her, and she answered all of their questions. After a few minutes, she realized her glass was already empty, so she went to the mini bar.

"One tequila please." She stood there with her drink when she heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Well, well. Dr. Cristina Yang."

She turned around to face to guy. "Dr. Jackson Avery." She said with a grin.

"Wow. It's been 4 years. How's Zurich?" Now he was standing beside her, leaning on the bar.

"Zurich is fine. How's Seattle?"

"Fine too. Well, I now have a 3 year old son, but other than that everything's pretty much the same."

"Oh right, congratulations to you and Kepner!"

"Thank you. So… will we be bidding against you tonight?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, good luck to both of us then."

"Cristina?" another doctor approached them.

"Owen…" answered Cristina with a slightly shocked face.

"I guess I'll leave the two of you to catch up. Nice seeing you again, Yang." Said Jackson, and left them.

"Wow Cristina, you look beautiful." He couldn't take his eyes of her, her in that dress. She looked breathtaking.

"Thank you Owen."

At first there was silence, both of them were just looking at each, their eyes locked. And neither one of them wanted to look away. As if that longing stare could make up for the years they've been apart.

Owen finally broke the silence. "So.. How have you been? Meredith didn't tell me you'd be here."

"That's because she doesn't know. It's been a while since I've spoken to her. I've been really busy lately, but I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm…" Before Owen could finish, a dark haired man interrupted them.

"Cristina!" said the man, "I've been looking everywhere for you." The two doctors faced him, both with different expressions on their faces.

"Um… I was just talking to Owen. Owen, this is Isaac. Isaac, Owen."

"Dr. Isaac Williams, cardiothoracic surgeon" said Isaac, putting his right arm around Cristina's waist, "from Klausman Institute for Medical Research."

"Owen Hunt, trauma, Grey Sloan Hospital of Seattle." Both men shook hands, but Owen eyes were focused on Isaac's hand on Cristina's waist. Isaac noticed this and gave Owen a smirk.

"Nice to _finally_ meet you, Dr. Hunt." He then faced the woman beside him, "Cristina, the bidding is about to start, I guess we should head back to our table."

"Of course." Then she faced Owen, "It was… It was really nice to see you again, Owen." She said, giving him a little smile.

Owen nodded, and watched Cristina walk away, and vanish through the crowd.

* * *

><p>"So… You and Dr. Hunt huh."<p>

"Isaac, Don't"

"Okay. I won't" he said with a small laugh, "But you know he looks better in person than the picture on your desk."

Cristina stared at him with an annoyed look, "I told you, we're divorced. I haven't seen him in 4 years. Plus, we have different lives now, different priorities. And…." She took another sip of her drink.

"And you don't love him anymore. Right?" Cristina inhaled deeply, she wasn't sure how to answer him.

A loud music started to play, the bidding was about to start. Saved by the bell_, _she thought.

The bidding has already started, but Cristina was nowhere near focused. All she could think of was Isaac's question: _You don't love him anymore. Right?_. For 4 years, she convinced herself that moving to Zurich was the right move, that she and Owen want different things, that when they are together, they always end up hurting each other, and that moving on was what she had to. But how could just the sight of him easily change everything?

"Cristina? Cristina, are you alright? You know I could really use your help right now. We're losing this bid."

"I'm so sorry. I think I've had too much drinks for tonight. And I really don't trust my judgment right now, but I trust you, Isaac."

* * *

><p>"Hey Hunt, the bidding is about to start. You alright?"<p>

"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay."

He heard the host start the bidding, with the audience participating, "$700,000!... $750,000!"

But he wasn't paying attention. He can't stop thinking of Cristina and the guy who approached them. Who the hell was that guy? What's going on between him and Cristina that he could just put his arm around Cristina's waist? Are he and Cristina together? And how long have they been together? And why was he happy to finally meet Owen? Did Cristina tell that what's-his-name-guy about them? Or has Cristina been telling everyone in Zurich about her ex-husband? He had so many questions in mind, that he wanted to wait for the gala to end so he could talk to Cristina, privately.

But then again, why the hell is he so bothered by the thought of Cristina being together with that what's-his-name-guy? Is he jealous? Of course not, why should he be? They we're already divorced for a long time. And, _she_ left him, for her career. This only shows how different their priorities are. And besides, he has a different life now. But he just needs some answers, that's all.

* * *

><p>"Crap. Cristina, we lost it." Said Isaac. Cristina tried to nod but she looked like her head was about to fall on the floor. "Cristina? Cristina? What the… Are you drunk?"<p>

"What? No. I don't know. But my head hurts like hell. "

Isaac laughed at him. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel." Cristina stood up, but Isaac noticed that she was about to fall anytime. So he helped her walk, and put his arm around her waist. At the same time, Cristina put her head on Isaac's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Owen has been thinking too much that he hadn't realized that the bidding was finally over.<p>

"Damn it." said Jackson.

"What happened?"

"We lost. Kyoto Research Clinic took it for $15M. No one bid after that. But anyway, we should go, we still have a plane to catch."

"Ok. I'll catch up with you. I still have to... umm… do something."

Owen surfed through the crowd, looking for a head of curly hair. When he finally spotted her sitting on the table, he let out a big sigh of relief and walked down in her direction. But there were a few people flocking on his way. "Excuse me, excuse me." he said, squeezing his way through all those people.

But when he looked in front of him, Cristina was walking alongside Isaac, his arm, once again, around her waist, and her head on his shoulder. Owen stood there, in shock, and his eyebrows furrowed. Maybe he didn't have to talk to Cristina after all, maybe this was the answer to all his questions.

We're so close to reaching that famous happy end,

And almost believing, this one's not pretend.

Let's go on dreaming for we know we are…

So close, so close and still so far…

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ** it's my first fanfic, so please R&R! i hope u liked it. and please hang on till next chapters, a lot of things are still bound to happen. :D


	2. Chapter 2

**_9 months ago_**

_*knock knock*_

_"Come in."_

_"Dr. Yang, here's the copy of the journal you asked me about."_

_"Thank you, just put it here." She said, pointing at the table._

_Isaac placed the journal on the table, and stood there staring at Cristina._

_"Yes? Is there anything I can help you with, Dr. Williams?"_

_"Oh nothing. It's just that…" Cristina raised her eyebrows, "Well, I've been working here for a few months now. And I only see you in surgeries or in the lab, and you're always in your office. You need to get out there Cristina, have a drink with your friends or something. Or do you even have friends? You know what, I'm heading to the bar near the hospital, come join me." He said, with a smile on his face._

_Cristina sat there a bit shocked, she didn't realize that if she's not in surgery, she's stuck in her office all day, "For your information, I do have a life outside this office, and I also have friends. And I appreciate the offer, but no thanks, I still have to finish all these paperwork. And by the way, it's Dr. Yang."_

_"Okay. Maybe next time, then. See you tomorrow, Dr. Yang." _

_Cristina nodded, and Isaac left the room._

* * *

><p>"Hi baby Jasmine! Did you have a good sleep last night?" Arizona playfully talked to the baby, connected to a lot of tubes, lying in front of her, while Alex examined her.<p>

"Not looking good." said Alex.

Arizona sighed, "Let's wait for the lab results to be sure."

After a few minutes, a curvy woman with brunette hair, wearing light blue scrubs, entered the NICU. "Dr. Robbins, here are baby Jasmine's lab results."

"Thanks. Where is Reynolds?"

"He got pulled in to Dr. Kepner's surgery. So I'm the new resident assigned to this case."

"Oh okay. I hope you know that this patient is very dear to some of our fellow surgeons, so I hope you've studied about her previous surgeries."

"Yup. I studied her chart before I got here."

Arizona smiled at her, and looked down to read the lab results. But her facial expressions immediately changed. "Damn it. Alex, take a look at these."

Alex looked at the results, and sighed. "She's rejecting the new valve."

"Not only that, look at this x-ray film, it seems that the VSD repair we did is tearing up."

"Crap. We better tell the Shepherds." Alex faced the curvy woman, "Miller, page Dr. Anderson, Dr. Shepherd, and the other Dr. Shepherd."

* * *

><p>"This will be her third surgery! I don't think she's strong enough for this."<p>

"Amy, we have to try. Babies, sometimes, reject new valves. You know that." Derek said, trying to calm her sister down who is pacing back and forth the room.

Amelia sighed, "What are our other options?"

"Well, our plan is to replace the valve, again, and hope that this time she won't reject it, and at the same time, we need to fix the tear in her septum. But if not, heart transplant is our best option." said Dr. Anderson, the cardio attending in the case.

"But in Jasmine's case, it's hard to find a matching donor, because of her age and her blood type." added Arizona.

There was silence in the room. Everyone knew what Arizona meant, if Jasmine's next surgery will fail, adding her to the transplant list would almost be like a dead end.

"Simon... Valve and SD repair? What was it…." Miller whispered to herself.

"Miller, you wanna say something?" Alex asked.

"Umm… I've read from… ugh I forgot what website was that. I've read about the Simon Valve and SD repair technique done in infants. But it's very new and risky."

"Where'd you read it from?"

"Who was the surgeon?"

"How is the procedure done?"

All the doctors in the room had a lot of questions about Dr. Miller's suggestions.

"I... I forgot the name of the surgeon nor the details about it. I was studying for my intern exam two months ago and I passed by that article on the internet. But I remember it has only been done 6 times, and was successful in only 3." she scratched her head, and looked down trying to remember the details.

"3 out of 6? That's too risky!" said Derek.

Arizona, Alex and Dr. Anderson exchanged looks, they knew that 50% success rate is very risky but this might be their only hope for baby Jasmine.

"Miller, look for that article; study the details and the procedure. And better yet, learn about the doctors involved. See if they have a number we could contact. " Arizona faced the very worried Amy Shepherd, "If this Simon procedure looks good and we believe that it is our _best_ option, then, we'll do this procedure. But if not, we'll do the original plan."

* * *

><p>"Hey Callie, can I ask you a favor?"<p>

"Let me guess. You want me to pick Zola up after school."

"Please? Derek is very busy and I'll be in surgery. And we'll be done sometime after 5."

"Okay. But you owe me one."

Meredith sighed, and nodded at Callie.

"Hey guys, have you seen Jackson or Dr. Hunt?" April approached the two doctors talking at the nurse's station. "They said they'll be back at around this time."

"Maybe they got stuck in traffic or something." said Meredith.

"Who got into traffic?" Jackson and Owen appeared from behind the 3 women.

"Jackson!" April hugged her husband tightly. "So how was the gala?"

"It was fun. But we lost the bidding to Kyoto Research Clinic. Oh, and Cristina was there!"

"Cristina as in Cristina Yang?!" exclaimed Meredith.

"Yeah, didn't she tell you?"

Meredith shook her head, "But were you able to chat with her?"

"Yes, for a while. Then she and Hunt also got to talk."

Now everybody turned to Owen. "Yeah, she umm… said she was fine."

Owen noticed the three women exchanging odd glances. He knew what they were all thinking, but he just raised his eyebrows, "Don't you ladies have surgeries and patients to go to?"

The three of them shrugged, got their patients' charts. But before Meredith could leave, Owen approached her.

"Meredith, can I talk to you?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Um… Have you talked to Cristina lately? Did she tell you if she was… uh… seeing someone?"

Meredith's eyes grew wide, "No, I haven't talked to her for months now. How would you say that?"

"Oh nothing. I just thought." Owen lied, "Okay, I better go, I still have patients to attend to."

And Meredith was left there. How come Cristina didn't tell her that she'd be back in the country? They've already talked about this, if Cristina is in the country, no matter where she is, they'd find time to meet up and have drinks together. And why would Owen ask her if Cristina was dating someone? Did Cristina tell him something? Or did she have a date to the gala? All of these questions rushed through Meredith's mind, but she just let out a big sigh.

* * *

><p>"Yes! Found it!" Miller shouted in front of the computer. "The Simon Valve and Septum Defect Repair Technique."<p>

"So what's special about that technique?" Alex asked.

"It's… ummm…. Wait…. "

"Oh give me that!" Arizona snatched the mouse from Miller's hand. She looked at the screen, and read the article out loud, "The Simon Valve and Septum Defect technique, a technique done on patients who have previously undergone heart surgery concerning valve replacement or repair and atrial or ventricular septum defect repair. In this technique, a valve that has been 3-D printed using the patient's own heart cells is used to replace the old valve to reduce the probability of rejection. And to repair the septum defect, the Simon technique has been developed to minimize further damage brought by past surgeries, and for efficiency." she murmured some other details, "It has only been done in infants, whose hearts are still developing. But this technique is still being enhanced that is why is still risky."

Arizona continued scrolling, and suddenly, her eyes grew wide while staring at the screen, and then she turned her gaze to Alex.

"Well, who's the surgeon? Can we contact them?" intrigued Alex.

Arizona nodded, "Yes, we can. Apparently, Meredith has her phone number."

* * *

><p><em>"It shall ring… As we sing!"<em>

_"It shall ring... And float away!"_

_"Hail! Stanford hail!" Isaac and Cristina laughed as they both sang their alma mater hymn. _

_"Isaac, I didn't know you we're from Stanford!" Cristina said, still laughing._

_"Oh so we're on a first name basis now?" teased Isaac._

_Cristina rolled her eyes, and took a sip from her drink. She and Isaac sat there for another hour talking, drinking, laughing until they cried, and more drinking. They talked about their residency, surgeries, and they both realized that they a lot of things in common, other than being a graduate from Stanford. Cristina hasn't felt this happy, this free, and this drunk for 3 years now. The last time she experienced this was with Meredith, when they went drinking until 2 in the morning for their "big goodbye". Meredith, Cristina thought. It's been a long time since she spoke with her. The first few months that Cristina moved to Zurich, she and Meredith were very religious in following the schedule they made up to call each other, and if one of them was in surgery, they'd always find a way to talk to the other. These calls usually last for hours, they'd talk about their cool surgeries, Meredith's children, Cristina's annoying coworkers, their friends in Seattle, the men in their lives and all their dark and twisted secrets. But after about 2 years, they've become very busy, Cristina with her hospital and research, and Meredith with work and her children. And so all the long hour calls became few minutes calls, and these became "hey, how's Zurich?", "how are the kids?", "how's Alex?", until it became "hi" and "hello". And that was it. They haven't talked for a few months now. _

_"Cristina, you want another round of tequila?" asked Isaac._

_"Go for it." Cristina tried to stretch her arms upward, but then she was already feeling tipsy so she lost her balance and almost fell from her chair. Luckily, Isaac was there, and caught her right before she fell, his arms supporting her arm and back, and her hands on his chest. They both looked at each other, at first, shocked with what happened, but then they ended up laughing, until those big smiles on their faces faded away, and they were just staring at each other's eyes. That stare lasted for a while. And before they knew it, Cristina's hands were already on his face, Isaac's hands on her back, and their lips pressed against each other's. _

_When Cristina became conscious of what was happening, she immediately pulled away. "I'm so sorry." she said while running her hand through her hair._

_"What's wrong? Am I a bad kisser?"_

_"No, no." Cristina chuckled, "It's not you…"_

_There was silence for a while._

_"It's because of the guy in the picture frame on your desk, isn't it?"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **i am not a med student so please don't judge all the medical stuff i put in here. And i am sorry for the lack of Crowen fluffiness, but i promise lots of that in the next chapters. :) AND PLEASE, REVIEWS ARE VERY VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!


	3. Whatever happens, happens

Cristina sat on the bench, furiously tapping the keyboard of her laptop. She still had to finish this report before she returns to Zurich. But it doesn't look like she'll able to finish it, every time she attempts to type something, her mind wanders off to somewhere else. To last night. To the gala. She can't believe she flew thousands of miles to attend a gala, wear a designer gown, put on make-up, and just end up getting drunk. That was so unprofessional, even she knew that. Plus, they lost the bidding to Kyoto Research Clinic. But then, she didn't even notice all the glasses of tequila she drank, because she was too busy and too anxious, thinking of Owen. Oh God, Owen. The last time she saw him was when Isaac dragged her back to their table, she remembered the look on Owen's face when he was watching them walk away, it was full of doubt, of confusion, of hurt, and of sadness. She knew he had a lot questions, but she hadn't had the chance to explain. And she doesn't' think she'll ever have a chance to explain.

"Hey." she heard a very familiar voice from behind, "You alright? You look like something's bothering you. Here, brought you some coffee. "

"Thanks Isaac. I'm just trying to finish this report. And I can't seem to finish even one sentence. And, our flight's delayed. Ugh."

"Well, look on the bright side, you'll have enough time to finish that."

Cristina nodded and took a sip from her coffee, when suddenly, her phone started ringing. She immediately took it from the side pocket of her bag, and was surprised at the name she saw on the screen. It's been a while since she got this call.

"Mer?"

"Cristina! You we're in the country and you didn't even bother to tell me?"

Usually, when someone yells at her through a phone call, she gets mad, annoyed, and ends the call immediately. But this time, she can't help but smile at the deafening voice from the other end of the line. She didn't think Meredith would care that she was in the country, or even at the fact that she didn't tell her about it.

"Cristina!"

"I'm sorry, Mer. I'm here at Boston for only one night, and now I'm at the airport, just waiting for my flight. I'm really sorry."

"You made a promise. That we'd get drunk when you're here." Meredith frowned.

"I know... I know. Maybe next time?"

Meredith sighed. "Anyway, I didn't call you just to yell at you, Arizona needs to talk to you about something." She handed her phone to Arizona.

"Hey Cristina!"

"Oh hey, what is it?"

"I know you're busy. But I'd like to talk to you about a case. We have a six month old infant, with Pulmonary Atresia with VSD. She already had two surgeries to replace the pulmonary valve. But in both surgeries, she rejected it. Also, the VSD repair we did seem to tear apart. We thought a heart transplant would be the best option but then, we've read about your Simon Valve and SD Repair technique. And we think that this patient is a very good candidate for the procedure."

"Have you used an animal valve?"

"Yes, in her second surgery. But, it's not working."

Cristina didn't know how to respond, "Uh... Arizona, I'd love to help but my flight to Zurich is in a few hours. And, I don't even have her chart."

"We could send you her x-ray and other lab results, and notes from her chart via e-mail. Please, Cristina. This patient is Jasmine Shepherd, Amy's daughter. We really hope you could spare some time to do this procedure, or even just take a look at her chart. I think it's her best shot."

Cristina was not close with Amy, but she is Derek's sister and Meredith's sister-in-law, which makes it hard for her to say no.

"Okay, send me her chart."

"Yes! Thank you, Cristina."

"You're welcome. I'll call you back when I've studied her chart." Cristina smiled, and ended the call.

"Who was that?" asked Isaac.

"It was Meredith and Arizona. They have a kid that has PA with VSD. And they want me to take a look at her chart, they think that she's a good candidate for the Simon technique." She said, while getting her iPad from her bag.

"But I thought the Simon technique is still being developed."

"It still is. But the patient, she's Derek's niece. And… I just can't say no. So I'll look at her chart and I'll see what I can do to help." She opened her email, and saw the files sent by Arizona. Both she and Isaac studied the patient's lab results, her x-rays, her CT scans, and the notes from her previous surgeries. And they both agreed that her case was similar to some of the patients that Cristina treated using the Simon technique.

"If you decide to do this, I'll come with you."

"What? No. You should go back to the hospital, you have patients waiting for you."

"Cristina, an extra set of hands can help. Besides, I assisted you twice in that procedure. So you can't say no."

Cristina inhaled deeply, she knew that agreeing to perform this surgery would mean returning to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She wasn't sure if she's ready to be back. Because it's been 4 years, and she thought that maybe all her friends in Seattle have moved on, and have forgotten her already. She was afraid that maybe they have changed, and conversations with them would be somehow awkward or different. Plus, bringing Isaac may not be a good idea, based on Owen's reaction last night. Oh God, Owen. Why does she keep on forgetting about him?

_Cristina, stop overthinking it, _she finally told herself,_ you'll return to Seattle to save baby Jasmine's life. And so whatever happens, happens. _

* * *

><p>"Dr. Robbins, how long are we going to wait for Dr. Yang's response? The longer we wait, the greater the complications of the surgery will be."<p>

"I know that, Dr. Anderson. But I trust Cristina, she'll call us, and she'll tell us that she's going to do the procedure on baby Jasmine." Arizona smiled.

Dr. Anderson sighed, "Well, that's your call Dr. Robbins."

Arizona stood up and went to the attending's lounge, where she saw Meredith, Alex, April and Jackson talking.

"Hey, has she called yet?"

Meredith shook her head, took out her phone and placed it on the table.

"Who hasn't called yet?" asked April.

"Cristina. We consulted her for…"

Before Arizona could finish, Meredith's phone started ringing, and all eyes turned to the phone on the table.

* * *

><p>Cristina walked to the nearest counter, where there is a woman sitting behind it.<p>

"Miss, two tickets for the earliest flight to Seattle, please."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I'm sorry if this chapter is rather short. But I'll update this as soon as I can. And I hope you leave some reviews, I'd love to know what you think. :))


	4. Walk down memory lane

Cristina inhaled deeply as both she and Isaac entered the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Walking through those glass doors made her feel like she was walking down memory lane. For she has walked through those doors every day for almost 7 years, and it has witnessed a lot of memories that she cherished, some bad, and definitely a lot of good ones. It has witnessed the mornings when she got off her motorcycle and entered the hospital wishing that she doesn't get scolded by Dr. Bailey; the afternoons when she, Meredith, Izzie, and George were still interns and they'd go home together from their shifts; the night when she wore a lavender dress and had her first date with Burke; and the night she slipped, got stabbed by an icicle, and was rescued by Owen.

When they got inside, she looked around and noticed some changes in the hospital, the walls were newly painted, the nurses' station looked different, and mostly the place looked more technologically advanced with all the new flat screen monitors everywhere and a lot of new equipment. And as they reached the surgical floor, Cristina kept looking around, searching for a familiar face. There were a few nurses whom she recognized but the people she was looking for were nowhere to be found. She scratched her head, and reached for her phone, when suddenly she heard a very familiar voice.

"Cristina!"

She looked in front of her and saw a blonde woman smiling for ear to ear. "Mer!"

Meredith walked towards her and they hugged each other. When both of them pulled away, Isaac, who was standing beside Cristina, coughed a little, reminding the women of his presence.

"Oh right, Mer, this is Isaac." Meredith turned to the tall guy beside Cristina. She noticed his dark hair, brown eyes and gorgeously tanned arms.

"Isaac Williams, also a cardio surgeon." He said and they shook hands.

"We work together." added Cristina.

"Oh… Oooooooh" you can sense the sarcasm in Meredith's voice, "You work together… I see." Now she was smiling at Cristina wickedly, and Cristina gave her a look, she knew exactly what Meredith was thinking.

"Cristina, do you know where the bathroom is?" asked Isaac.

"You go straight, then right." answered Cristina, pointing to the direction of the bathroom.

The guy nodded and excused himself from the two women. And while he walked away, the two women were watching him.

"Aw!" Cristina complained as Meredith elbowed her. "What was that for?"

"You know we invited you here to help in Jasmine's case. You didn't have to bring your McHottie boyfriend." teased Meredith.

Cristina immediately responded, "He's not my… McHottie? Really?" She can't help but smile.

"Oh don't act like you haven't noticed those muscles in his arms!"

"Hmm... I haven't really noticed those." Cristina lied.

"And that white shirt. Wow, he makes that shirt look like it's about to have an orgasm!"

"Mer?!" Both she and Meredith laughed hysterically.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't had sex for a while now. Derek and I have been busy with surgeries and the kids." But Cristina was still laughing, and then Meredith joined her. Their laughs subsided until both women let out a big sigh. And that's when they realized how much they had missed each other.

"I missed you Cristina Yang." Meredith gave her friend a warm smile.

"I missed you too, Mer." And they hugged each other tightly. They weren't the hugging type, but not seeing each other for 4 years seem to be a good excuse. When Isaac returned, the three of them went to meet Arizona, Alex, and the other doctors in the NICU.

* * *

><p>On their way, they passed by the conference room where they heard some familiar voices talking, or more like shouting.<p>

"This is all I'm asking. Nothing more." one voice said.

"Hey, if she gets that additional funding, I'm going to write an appeal too." said another one.

"Look, the foundation did provide additional budget for research projects but that does not assure that your appeals will be approved." a male voice answered.

Meredith and Cristina knew whose voices those were, so they decided to stop by. When they entered the room, four heads turned to face them and all of them had their eyebrows raised when they saw Cristina.

"Is that… Cristina Yang?" a short woman approached them, and gave Cristina a hug.

"The one and only, Dr. Bailey." Cristina replied. And the three doctors sitting around the conference table stood up and greeted her.

"So what brings you back to Seattle?" asked Dr. Bailey.

"I'm here to help in Jasmine's case." She noticed all the eyes in front of her focused on the tall guy behind her, so she had no choice but to introduce him. "By the way, this is Dr. Isaac Williams, he is also a cardiothoracic surgeon in my hospital."

All of them introduced themselves and shook hands with Isaac. But for Isaac, they didn't have to. He already knew who they are because Cristina always tells him stories about her life and friends in Seattle, from her motorcycle days to the days she became a godmother of three. But there were stories Cristina didn't tell him much about, stories that she only mentioned once or twice. These were the stories of the shooting, the plane crash, and her husband.

"Miranda Bailey, general surgeon." _Why do they call her the Nazi?_ Isaac thought.

"Callie Torres, ortho." _Is she really a lesbian? Man, she's hot._

"Jackson Avery, plastics." _Hmm… Avery._

"Derek Shepherd, neuro." _Aaah, McDreamy… I get it._

They chatted for a while, when suddenly, a man barged in the room, "Hey Callie, can I talk…" He stopped by the door when he saw all the doctors gathered in front of him. All eyes were on him, but his eyes were only focused on one person, Cristina Yang.

"Cristina… Welcome back." He said, giving her a warm smile.

"Thank you, Owen." she smiled back.

But when Owen noticed the man beside Cristina, his expression immediately changed. "Dr. Williams." his tone was very serious compared to how he greeted Cristina.

"Dr. Hunt." Isaac nodded back.

There was silence in the room, everyone feeling a bit of tension.

"So…" Callie decided to break the silence, "Owen, was there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Yah, there is." he motioned outside the room, for he wanted to talk to Callie in private. Callie nodded and they both walked out the room, with Owen shooting a quick glance at Cristina.

Cristina then realized that Arizona was waiting for them, so she, Meredith, and Isaac went to the NICU with Derek.

* * *

><p>When they got to the NICU, they were greeted by Arizona, Amy, and Miller while Cristina immediately examined baby Jasmine and studied her latest x-rays, CT scans, and lab results. She noticed that all those results were a lot worse than the ones Arizona sent her yesterday. So she and Isaac explained to them how the Simon technique is done. First, they should gather cardiac cells from baby Jasmine, then these should be brought to the lab, treated with a solvent, and will be used as a base for the 3-D printing of the valve. And if this printed valve is not contaminated, it will be used to replace the old pulmonary valve in Jasmine's heart. And as for the repair of the septum defect, Cristina already knows how she would approach this after studying the CT scans of Jasmine's heart. And all of these should be done in less than 24 hours because Jasmine's current condition is already very critical, they've been pushing her with one drug after another just to keep her heart from failing.<p>

"Wow, that's a lot of pressure for 24 hours. But do you think she can handle it?" Amy asked worriedly.

"I have a great feeling, yes. Her case is somewhat similar to one of the patients that we successfully treated with this technique."

After listening to Cristina and Isaac, Derek and Amy felt reassured that baby Jasmine's next surgery will be a success.

"Cristina, thank you flying in here. I owe you another one." said Derek.

"That's alright. This is also a good excuse to be back in Seattle." she said while looking at Meredith. "Anyway, I think we should prep Jasmine now for the cardiac cells harvest."

"Sure, Dr. Miller here can assist you." said Arizona. The curvy woman's eyes lit up, she had always been a fan of Cristina's projects and journals, so being able to assist Cristina is a very big deal for her.

Cristina nodded, and before she could leave, Meredith grabbed her arm and whispered, "I'll meet you later at Joe's. I need some McHottie details."

* * *

><p>Cristina and Isaac changed into navy blue scrubs and got their pagers. And together with Arizona, they did the cardiac cells harvest procedure on baby Jasmine. And right after, these harvested cells were brought in the lab, where Cristina worked her magic. Isaac and Miller were also there to assist, but mostly, Miller just stood there in awe. Cristina wasn't even operating, she was only treating the cardiac cells with some chemicals and solvents, and setting it up the 3-D printer, yet she was so composed, and looked flawless while doing it.<p>

When the valve started printing, Miller took her lunch break while Cristina and Isaac stayed at the lab. Isaac was reading some journals on his iPad when he noticed Cristina staring and smiling at the 3-D printer, with her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her hands.

"Looks like someone had a good day." teased Isaac.

"Oh shut up." Cristina rolled her eyes and shifted from her position. "I'm just really glad to be back." she smiled.

"That's good to hear. Anyway, I'm going to grab some coffee. You want to come?"

"Nah, I still have to keep an eye on this." she said pointing at the printer, "But I'd love to have some coffee."

Isaac nodded, and found his way to the cafeteria. When he got there, he quickly spotted the coffee cart, which was located beside the burger cart where he saw Owen giving out his order.

"Dr. Hunt," Isaac greeted Owen, with a wicked smile on his face.

Owen turned his head to see Isaac standing before the coffee cart. "Dr. Williams." he nodded. Then both of them faced the vendors in front of them.

"I'll have one cappuccino and a mocha latte with soy milk, please." ordered Isaac.

_Mocha latte with soy milk. _Owen knew exactly who that was for. And at the same time, Isaac knows that Owen knew exactly who that was for. And the thought of it made him smirk.

After receiving his cheeseburger, Owen put it in a paper bag and was about to head to the attendings' lounge, but was interrupted by Isaac. "You're not going to eat that burger yet?"

"Uh… not yet. I'm going to leave it at the attendings' lounge, and eat it after my rounds."

"Hmm… But aren't you worried that someone might take it?"

"Of course not, everybody here knows never to touch what isn't theirs." Owen replied confidently.

"Oh okay. But if it was mine, I wouldn't leave it in a place where anyone can simply take it. You know, some people might think that it was left there carelessly, or that it wasn't valued at all and was purposely left there." Isaac noticed Owen's tight grip on his paper bag, barely holding his temper. Owen knew exactly what he was talking about.

"But that's just me." Isaac added, and left Owen there, speechless. He knows that Owen knew exactly what he was talking about.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **again I am not a med student, so the medical stuffs in here are not true.

And thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate them. And I hope you continue to leave some more, I'd love to know what you think of this story.


	5. Connecting the dots

"Hey, what took my coffee so long?"

"Oh, I had a chat with some of your friends in the cafeteria." answered Isaac with a grin, "Anyway, how's the valve?" he handed the mocha latte to Cristina.

"It's still printing, but I hope everything goes according to plan." sighed Cristina. She reached for her phone in her lab coat pocket to text Meredith but then she realized her phone was not there. _Ugh,_ she thought. _I left it in my bag._ She left the lab to get her phone in the attendings' lounge.

* * *

><p>Cristina entered the lounge, and immediately froze by the door when she saw a blonde man, sitting beside the table, holding a paper bag.<p>

"Uh… Hey."

"Hey."

Cristina slowly walked to her temporary locker, with both of them in silence. But it wasn't the usual silence they have when they're the only people in a room, it was more of an awkward, and uncomfortable silence. She felt awkward being left alone with Owen. Maybe because she wanted to tell him a lot of things but she didn't know how, or because of the cold stare Owen gave her.

Until Owen decided to break the silence, "Uh... I heard you were printing a new valve for Jasmine, I hope it will be a success," Cristina turned to face him, "but I know it will be."

"Thank you." she answered, "You know we couldn't have printed the valve without all the new printers and equipment in the lab."

"Yeah. The foundation increased the budget last year, so we bought new CT machines, and a lot more equipment."

Cristina nodded, "You really did a great job upgrading the hospital in the past four years."

"Well, I had a lot of free time, and so I kind of became more dedicated to my job."

Cristina walked towards the table, "I mean, when I got here and I looked around, I was so impressed with all the advancement of the equipment, the painted walls, and the new nurses' lounge. It's like I walked into a different hospital, cause everything looks so different." Now she was only 2 ft. away from him, "Yet, everything feels the same." She said, looking intently at those familiar blue eyes.

Owen didn't know how to answer. What did she mean by that? Everything looks different, but still feels the same? He felt that she wasn't just talking about the hospital, but he wasn't sure, so he wanted to ask her if it is true, that everything still feels the same, that all of her feelings still haven't changed even after four years. But what's stopping him from doing that, is Isaac. Because of what he saw on the night of the gala, because of Cristina bringing Isaac to Seattle, maybe she wanted Isaac to meet Meredith and her other friends here, and because of what Isaac said to him in the cafeteria. Just the thought of that guy made him cringe. But instead of telling her that, he faced Cristina and said,

"Yeah. You're right. Everything looks different" He paused for a while. "But that's because everything _is_ different. Everything has changed, Cristina." He stood up, and walked out the room. And Cristina was left there, dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>"Two tequilas please." Meredith ordered to the person behind the bar, and then faced Cristina. "I want to know everything about you and Isaac. And I mean <em>everything<em>. Why haven't you mentioned him before?"

"Actually, I did. He was the new talkative attending I told you about."

"Aaah." Meredith nodded and took a sip from her drink.

"But like I told you, we're just friends." She looked at Meredith, who was also looking at her not contented with that answer. Cristina let out a sigh, "Well, at first he invited me for a drink, then we had a chat, then we kissed…"

Meredith's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"But that just happened once." Cristina immediately answered, "We were both drunk that time. Then after that we had some more drinks and chats." Now Meredith's expression changed, she became more attentive. "Then the drinks became coffee, then the coffee turned to lunch, then the lunch became dinner…"

"So you do like him?" Meredith interrupted, with a grin on her face, "Because he obviously likes you."

"No, no." Cristina shook her head, "I mean, he's a really, really good guy, Mer. He's kind and thoughtful, and doesn't demand kids, but…" Cristina didn't know how to finish her sentence.

"But what?"

"But he's not Owen." She finally said. They took another sip from their drinks in unison, and became silent for a while.

"Anyway, how are you and the kids?" Cristina asked.

"We're fine. Bailey's already in kindergarten, while Zola is…"

Before Meredith could finish, they heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Yang!" They turned around to see a very happy Alex Karev approaching them.

"Alex!" Cristina replied, and both of them hugged each other tightly, then Alex sat on the stool beside her.

"Where were you this morning? I thought you were also in Jasmine's case."

"I still am, I was just pulled in a trauma surgery with April this morning. Anyway, how have you been, legendary Yang?"

"I'm fine. How about you? Are you and Wilson still together?"

Alex rolled his eyes, "Of course we are, we're already married, remember?" He took off his jacket and placed it on the bar, "By the way, I met your boyfriend earlier."

Meredith laughed while Cristina buried her head in her hands, "You mean Isaac? He's not my boyfriend. We just work together."

"Hmm…"Alex nodded sarcastically, "You know, you have to make that clear with everyone." said Alex.

Cristina gave him a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"Cause i just saw him and Hunt talking in the cafeteria during lunch. But they looked like hungry cannibals staring at each other and just waiting for the right time to tear each other off. " Both Alex and Meredith laughed, while Cristina fell silent. Owen's cold stare and everything he said earlier, him and Isaac wanting to tear each other off. She somehow connected all the dots now.

* * *

><p>AN: i'm really really sorry for the looooooooooooong delay. I wrote this chapter last year and realized i haven't published it. so here it is. i hope you like it! don't forget to R&R :)


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